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FFL: Week 17 | NFL: Week 17

Saquon Barkley ninth player with 2,000-yard rushing season

Sun Dec 29 3:51pm ET
Field Level Media

Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley became the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season on Sunday.

Barkley entered the game against the visiting Dallas Cowboys needing 162 yards to join the exclusive club.

He reached the milestone with a 23-yard run with about 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and Philadelphia leading 34-7. That gave him 167 for the day on 31 carries and 2,005 for the season.

With one game remaining, Barkley has a chance to break Eric Dickerson's NFL single-season record of 2,105 yards, set during a 16-game season in 1984.

In addition to Dickerson, the others to rush for 2,000 yards are Adrian Peterson, Jamal Lewis, Barry Sanders, Derrick Henry, Terrell Davis, Chris Johnson and O.J. Simpson.

With the Eagles locked into the No. 2 seed in the NFC, it's unclear whether Barkley will play in next weekend's regular-season finale against his former team, the New York Giants.

Barkley also broke LeSean McCoy's 2013 franchise record of 2,146 all-purpose yards.

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Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 17

Player Notes
Denzel Ward Dec 29 5:40pm CT
Denzel Ward

Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward (shoulder) has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's Week 17 contest against the Miami Dolphins. The 27-year-old registered four tackles prior to his departure, bringing his season total to 48. Ward has appeared in all 16 games this season, but he's missed parts of several contests due to various injuries. He'll now have seven days to get healthy ahead of the Browns' season finale next Sunday in Baltimore.

From RotoBaller

Sean Tucker Dec 29 5:40pm CT
Sean Tucker

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker surprisingly saw his usage increase during Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers. Tucker hasn't seen much of the field lately, but he was able to make an impact in Week 17. He rushed the ball eight times for 39 yards and hauled in his lone target for five yards in the win. The eight carries from Tucker are the most from him since his 136-yard outing in Week 6. It looks like Tucker and Rachaad White are going to be fighting for scraps with Bucky Irving running away with the lead back job. Tucker is worth holding in some dynasty formats, but he's unlikely going to have weekly success as the third option in the backfield.

From RotoBaller

Bucky Irving Dec 29 5:30pm CT
Bucky Irving

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving was all over the place during Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers. The rookie back rushed 20 times for 113 yards, which helped him surpass the 1,000-yard mark for the season. Irving also hauled in all four of his targets for 77 additional yards through the air. This 100-plus yard performance marked Irving's third 100-yard performance in his last five games. The 22-year-old is literally running away with the lead back job in Tampa Bay. He'll be a RB1 for the regular season finale against the New Orleans Saints.

From RotoBaller

Rachaad White Dec 29 5:30pm CT
Rachaad White

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White once again took a backseat to Bucky Irving in the backfield on Sunday. White rushed the ball six times for 30 yards while hauling in his lone target for four additional yards through the air. It was another dud from White who has become an afterthought with Irving having so much success lately. Irving recorded his third 100-plus yard performance during Sunday's win over the Carolina Panthers. The rookie back appears to have taken over as the full-time back in Tampa Bay, so White looks like he's just going to be the backup going forward. That being said, White won't have great streaming appeal for the Week 18 matchup against the New Orleans Saints.

From RotoBaller

Cooper Kupp Dec 29 5:13pm CT
Cooper Kupp

Dynasty | Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp had one catch for 29 yards in a win over the Cardinals. Dynasty Analysis: Kupp had three targets, while Puka Nacua had 14. This has been a theme over the past month as it seems the Rams are content just peppering Nacua with footballs and essentially using Kupp as a blocker and a decoy. This has been a disaster of an end to the season for Kupp who now has just four catches on nine targets for 53 scoreless yards over his last three games. His dynasty ADP is going to sink this off-season.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Brock Bowers Dec 29 5:13pm CT
Brock Bowers

Dynasty | Cardinals tight end Trey McBride had 12 catches for 123 yards and a touchdown in a loss to the Rams. Dynasty Analysis: McBride's touchdown reception was amazingly his first of the year. However, few dynasty managers are going to complain much about his 104 catches and 1,081 receiving yards on the season. If not for Brock Bowers, McBride would be the overall TE1 in dynasty leagues after he's done nothing but improve after his breakout season last year.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Malik Nabers Dec 29 5:13pm CT
Malik Nabers

Dynasty | Cardinals rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr caught six passes for 96 yards in a loss to the Rams. Dynasty Analysis: Harrison has a respectable 57/822/7 line on the season, but has been overshadowed by fellow rookies Brock Bowers, Malik Nabers, Ladd McConkey, and Brian Thomas Jr. who have all surpassed 1,000 yards receiving already. Harrison has simply been good, but not special and that's a significant concern for anyone who took him at the top of 2024 Rookie Drafts. He'll need to take a step forward next season to justify staying towards the top of the recevier rankings.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Tee Higgins Dec 29 5:13pm CT
Tee Higgins

Dynasty | Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins had 11 catches for 131 yards and three touchdowns in a win against Denver. Dynasty Analysis: Congratulations on winning your fantasy title. Higgins saved his best for last as he posted his best fantasy performance of the season during championship week. With 69 catches for 858 yards and ten touchdowns in just 11 games, Higgins is going to be a very interesting player to watch this off-season. The Bengals may not have the means to pay him what he wants and if he hits free agency, he'll have no shortage of suitors. His dynasty value is stable.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Keon Coleman Dec 29 5:10pm CT
Keon Coleman

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman caught three passes for 27 yards and a touchdown in the team's 40-14 victory over the New York Jets. His leaping, 14-yard touchdown reception came in the waning moments of the third quarter to put the Bills ahead by 33 points. Most starters sat out of the fourth quarter due to the big lead. The rookie led the Bills in targets (seven) and had a 37-yard reception called back by a holding penalty. Buffalo is locked into the second seed for the AFC playoffs and may rest starters next weekend in New England.

From RotoBaller

Khalil Shakir Dec 29 5:10pm CT
Khalil Shakir

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir caught three of six targets for 25 yards in the team's blowout victory over the New York Jets. It's the second straight game (and third time all season) that Shakir finished with fewer than 30 yards. That's coincided with below-average passing yardage from quarterback Josh Allen, who threw for 182 yards on Sunday. Buffalo built a 33-point lead entering the fourth quarter, taking many starters out of the game early. With the win, the Bills clinched the number two seed in the AFC playoffs ahead of their rematch with the New England Patriots.

From RotoBaller

Dalton Kincaid Dec 29 5:10pm CT
Dalton Kincaid

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid secured two passes for 24 yards in the team's 40-14 blowout win over the New York Jets. The 25-year-old earned two targets on the afternoon. The Bills shut out the Jets for three quarters and led by 33 points entering the final frame. However, the second-year professional was mostly uninvolved before the starters were pulled. Kincaid, a popular preseason breakout candidate, has disappointed in nearly every game this season. His 4.4 PPR fantasy points on Sunday was one of his worst performances. Buffalo is locked into the second seed for the AFC playoffs and may rest starters next weekend in New England.

From RotoBaller

Josh Allen Dec 29 5:00pm CT
Josh Allen

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw for 182 yards and two touchdowns while adding 17 rushing yards and another score in the team's 40-14 win over the New York Jets. As has been the case in a handful of Bills games this season, Allen departed early due to Buffalo's comfortable lead. The Bills led by 33 points entering the final frame. Allen found Amari Cooper and Keon Coleman for his passing scores in the third quarter. While the yardage total is low for Allen's standards, three touchdowns were enough to put him over the 20-point threshold. Allen and the Bills clinched the number two seed in the AFC so the team could rest him for the regular season finale in New England.

From RotoBaller

Jerome Ford Dec 29 5:00pm CT
Jerome Ford

Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford (ankle) has returned to Sunday's Week 17 contest against the Miami Dolphins. He exited in the second quarter and was listed as questionable, but he checked back into the game at the start of the second half. Although Ford's return will take away some touches from D'Onta Foreman and Pierre Strong Jr., we expect all three running backs to remain involved for the rest of Sunday's contest.

From RotoBaller

James Cook Dec 29 5:00pm CT
James Cook

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook rushed for 53 yards and scored a touchdown in the team's blowout win over the New York Jets. Buffalo's top running back saw 15 opportunities again, but all came on the ground. He wasn't targeted for the second time this season. Thankfully, a touchdown pushed him up to double-digit PPR points. Cook's one-yard plunge in the third quarter extended Buffalo's lead to 26 points. They led by even more entering the fourth quarter, allowing Cook to take the rest of the game off. The Bills secured the number two seed in the AFC and face the New England Patriots in Week 18.

From RotoBaller

Amari Cooper Dec 29 5:00pm CT
Amari Cooper

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper caught three passes for 56 yards and one touchdown in the team's 40-14 win over the New York Jets. The veteran's highlight play was a 30-yard jump-ball touchdown over a New York defender. Despite one of his best games in a Bills uniform, the move to Buffalo hasn't benefited Cooper's fantasy value. His three targets trailed Keon Coleman (seven) and Khalil Shakir (six). The Bills secured the number two seed in the AFC and face the New England Patriots in Week 18.

From RotoBaller

Joe Flacco Dec 29 5:00pm CT
Joe Flacco

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco completed 26 of 38 pass attempts for 330 yards and two touchdowns, but was responsible for three turnovers -- two interceptions and a lost fumble. The 39-year-old's 68.4% completion rate breathed some life into what has been an underwhelming passing attack, producing two 100-yard receivers in the same game for the first time all season for the Colts. However, Indy was playing from behind all game and Flacco likely had to throw more than they expected or wanted him to. Nevertheless, with Indianapolis eliminated from playoff contention, the Colts may not want to run Anthony Richardson (back, foot) out there for the final game in Week 18. If Flacco draws another start, it will be in a favorable home matchup versus the 4-12 Jaguars, the same team the veteran put up big numbers against earlier this season.

From RotoBaller

Jerome Ford Dec 29 4:20pm CT
Jerome Ford

Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford (ankle) exited during the second half of Sunday's Week 17 contest against the Miami Dolphins. He was taken to the locker room for evaluation and is officially questionable to return. At the time of his departure, he had rushed for just 22 yards on six carries. With Nick Chubb (Achilles) done for the year and Ford temporarily sidelined, the Browns will now rely on D'Onta Foreman and Pierre Strong Jr. as their primary running backs.

From RotoBaller

DeVonta Smith Dec 29 4:10pm CT
DeVonta Smith

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith caught six of his seven targets for 120 yards and two touchdowns in their decisive victory against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday afternoon. Smith left the game for a brief window with a wrist injury. However, that did not seem to alter his performance as he paced all Philadelphia pass catchers in yards and receptions. He caught his first score of the game from Kenny Pickett on a 22-yard pass. He found the end zone again, this time on a 25-yard strike from Tanner McKee. His longest reception of the afternoon went for 49 yards. Despite catching passes from a multiple backup quarterbacks, Smith showcased his elite upside with his first multi-touchdown performance of the season. Smith will look to stay hot in a divisional tilt in Week 18 against the New York Giants.

From RotoBaller

Aaron Rodgers Dec 29 4:10pm CT
Aaron Rodgers

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers was replaced by Tyrod Taylor in the fourth quarter of Sunday's Week 17 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Rodgers finished with 112 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also took four sacks, including one for a safety. Interestingly, Taylor played significantly better in his two drives, completing 79 percent of his passes for 83 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Despite Taylor's promising fourth quarter, interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich told the media postgame that he expects Rodgers to remain the starter for Week 18 against the Miami Dolphins. Looking beyond next weekend, Rodgers' future with the Jets remains uncertain, and it's possible he will enter 2025 with a new team or even on the retirement list.

From RotoBaller

Marquez Valdes-Scantling Dec 29 4:00pm CT
Marquez Valdes-Scantling

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (back) re-aggravated an existing injury during Sunday's Week 17 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, according to interim head coach Darren Rizzi. He was targeted twice but did not catch a pass in the defeat. Valdes-Scantling has been one of the Saints' most productive pass-catchers since the team lost Chris Olave (concussion) and Rashid Shaheed (knee) to injuries. However, after Derek Carr (back) got hurt, Valdes-Scantling's productivity declined. He was targeted seven times in Week 15 when Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler both got reps, but he caught just two passes in that contest. Assuming Carr remains sidelined for Week 18, Valdes-Scantling will stay off the fantasy radar in most leagues.

From RotoBaller